2025 Frugal Living Challenge

Gem-gem

Good evening everyone, 
Had our shower fixed today. The plumber told us we also needed a new hose and shower head due to limescale. My DH was about to say okay when I intervened and said that I will try the limescale remover on it first. A couple of hours later, the head is back on the shower and all the holes are limescale free. £100 saved. 

DBIL came for lunch. He kindly bought me a huge butternut squash that he grew last year. Yay! Much better than flowers! I got my cards out that I have made and he chose a birthday card for his other half. I love it when we swap things. He also bought up some old LPs, 78's and singles for me to sell at my next boot fair. I'm going to check through them first so that I know what I have. I have looked up a place that I can take some to. My brother has given me a site that I can check them on first. 

My DBIL has frugalness down to an art form. Just like my aunt he has practiced it his whole life, as a result can live comfortably in his old age. He is late seventies and still works on his allotment. 

@Prudent, well done on your PB win too. 

sams247

Got free veg from community food, took out one of the sauce pouches I had in freezer from last month and now a veggie tikka masala is bubbling away in slow cooker for tea.  It'll do tomorrows lunch too.  Will use last of free potatoes to make mini jackets for lunch today with butter and last of cheese.

Gem-gem

Good afternoon everyone, 
Last month, I had a cup of chai latte for the first time. I have been looking around to make my own version as many in the shops are ultra processed (and contains tea). I am not a tea drinker. Today, I decided to add half a teaspoon of mixed spice to a cup of oat milk (milk drinkers can use milk) warmed it up in my velvetiser and it tasted just like the chai latte. A nice cheap, ultra-processed free, warming drink. 

Gem-gem

Good afternoon, 
Another BF done today £87 profit. All things sold 50p - £4 an item. This will help to go towards the bills. 

Bunga12

@Gem-gem I feel like I could do a boot fair but when I've done them before I find them really intimidating with people trying to dive into your stuff before you've got your boot open. Do you use a table or a blanket? How do you price stuff? Any tips?

Prudent

@Gem-gem that is a good profit. With all the bills rising so much this month, it is ideal timing too.

OH and I just home from a wonderful weekend visiting @Frugaldom in beautiful Dumfries and Galloway. The sun shone and we were also able to enjoy long sandy beaches and gardens. The washing is on the line in the sunshine, but I think that will be the only job that gets done as I am quite tired after all the driving.

There are still some bits and pieces in the fridge but tomorrow I will need to do a food shop. Hoping for some fruit and veggies from either the community shop or a Lidl veg box. 

Gem-gem

Bunga12 said:

@Gem-gem I feel like I could do a boot fair but when I've done them before I find them really intimidating with people trying to dive into your stuff before you've got your boot open. Do you use a table or a blanket? How do you price stuff? Any tips?

I use a table and a picnic blanket either side of the table.The previous boot fair everyone descended on me like you said it is intimidating. I haven't had it like that for ages. So, this time I took out one box at a time unpacked it and then got the next one out and shut the car up. From 6am - 10am I say the individual prices. Then at 10am I start moving what is left around and then will call out, everything on this blanket is 50p, all clothes £1 an item etc this draws people over. Then about an hour before I want to go home, I will put anything away that I want more money for and happy to bring out next time and I will call out everything is 50p. I have made quite a bit of money in the last hour doing it this way. Finally, when I am packing away I will identify things that I don't want to take home and will call out that these items are free for people to take. It saves a trip to the dump or filling up my bins! 

I always take the following with me:
anti-bacteria hand stuff and loo roll with me
carrier bags
float with 10ps, 20ps, 50ps, £1s and a £5 note.
breakfast / mid morning snack
water
suncream or woolly hat or both!
book to read
my mum used to take a chair to sit on. 
If I have jewellery or a mobile phone I don't put these out on the stall. The trade people come round at the beginning and ask. I get it out for them then if they don't buy put it back away until I have unpacked the rest of the boot.
Some people have things in boxes that you can just lift out, put on the ground and people can then look in them. 

Hope this helps. 

Gem-gem

FYI...Half price side of salmon in Sainsbob with your Nectar card. 

Prudent

Thank you @Gem-gem. I usually buy the pack of two fresh salmon fillets from Lidl when they have a 50% off sticker. I will have a look in the freezer and see how this compares per kg. 

I love to sew and learn from Youtube. Last night I was watching some updates from American quilters that I follow. They were worried about the increasing price of fabric with the new tariffs. One of the ladies also talked about how much this was going to push up the price of staples for them and she was worried as she lives frugally on a tight budget. I had not considered the potential impact of any of it on staple prices here. Fingers crossed that we don't have to cope with any more nasty shocks after the sharp April increases in bills.

I am still feeling wonderfully chilled from my visit with @Frugaldom and I am going to have a relaxed day. This morning I have opened this year's ISA. I went for the cash option as the cash ISA allowance might be reduced next year -and I am getting too old for all this volatility! This afternoon I am going to a workshop on flower arranging (free). I am growing some cutting flowers on the allotment so I am hoping to learn how make gifts from them. Also looking for some tips on what would be best to plant.

Bunga12

@Gem-gem thats brilliant - thanks so much for all that advice.